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The Toronto Blue Jays are finally heading home. After opening the 2022-23 MLB season on a gruelling franchise-record, 10-game road trip, the Jays will be the final team to host a home opener this season, when they welcome the Detroit Tigers to the newly-renovated Rogers Centre.
Over the past 20 years, across all of MLB, there have only been two other teams to start the season with a road trip as long as Toronto’s. But luckily enough, the Blue Jays are a strong road club. Dating back to the 2022 All-Star break, Toronto is 31-16 on the road, winning nearly two out of every three games it has played in the United States.
In fact, this season, the team has gotten off to a 6-4 start through its 10-game trek through St. Louis, Kanas City and Los Angeles – to which it came back from a 6-0 sixth-inning deficit on Sunday and won what many are calling the ‘game of the year’ 12-11 in extra innings.
“It’s huge to go home with a victory; each win is precious,” third-baseman Matt Chapman said following Sunday’s emotional victory. “I know it seems like it’s not with 162 games, but when you’re fighting with teams like the Rays, the Yankees, the Orioles and the Red Sox, our division is really tough… To come out of this road trip with the win today, and the way we did it, was just huge.”
Toronto has since made its way home to the friendly confines of Rogers Centre. Now set to host their first game in Ontario since the epic collapse in the American League Wild Card series last October, the Jays are ready to test the new dimensions of what was already a hitter-friendly ballpark.
The before and after on Rogers Centre really shows how significant those renovations were and how much the experience will improve now.#BlueJays pic.twitter.com/b1zztGo9W3
— Just 4 Wins Pls! (@toronchokefan) April 11, 2023
From the Blue Jays:
- 26 non-homers from 2022 would likely go out
- Only seven home runs would likely stay in
- This likely adds 19 home runs from ’22 to ’23 (+one home run per 4.2 games)
- Adding 19 home runs would have ranked Rogers Centre 1st in MLB in ’22
- Three of Matt Chapman’s doubles from ’22 would be home runs in ’23
“The new dimensions, moving the walls in, it’s going to let Vladdy and all these big guys hit that many more homers,” outfielder Kevin Kiermaier said. “On the defensive side, it will help us a lot more than it will hurt us, because we have very good outfielders out there.”
Currently leading the American League in team batting average (.288), and ranked second in hits (106) and batting average on balls in play (.348), the Jays find themselves within the top five of many team batting statistic categories. And when it comes to the bats, there is also no shortage of success on the personal achievement side of things.
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by Full Press Coverage on May 27, 2023 at 7:49 pm
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Look no further than Chapman, who leads the Majors in hits (19) and doubles (7), while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are also each within top six in hits. It’s safe to say the Jays have been seeing the ball quite well. Offseason acquisitions Daulton Varsho and Kiermaier have also been notable in most appearances. The only newcomer yet to discover his full potential is first-baseman/designated hitter Brandon Belt, who owns a .043 batting average to go along with 15 strikeouts on 23 plate appearances.
After a rough first go round, the team’s starting pitching has also seemed to sort itself out, with the exception of Jose Berrios. But in having two starts under each pitcher’s belt prior to the home opener will certainly go a long way to solidify some comfortability before home fans have the chance to see each hurler on the mound this week.
The Jays and Tigers (2-7) will begin a three-game series at 6:10 PM central time Tuesday night, before the league-leading Tampa Bay Rays make their way north for another three-game, weekend set.
“I know we’re all ready to get back,” Chapman added. “It’s crazy. It feels like we’ve been on the road for a month. We haven’t even checked into our apartments. But everybody’s excited to get back home, see the renovations, and get in front of the home crowd. I feel like it’ll be a lot of fun.”
Alek Manoah (1-0, 4.35 ERA) will get the start on the mound as he squares off against Detroit’s Matt Manning (1-0, 3.18 ERA).
Guerrero Jr. (Gold Glove), Alejandro Kirk (Silver Slugger) and Jordan Romano (Tip O’Neill) will each receive their offseason awards in a on-field, pre-game presentation.
